Oak Bay home listed for $128K but land not included

There is a two-bedroom, one-bathroom home in Oak Bay that could be yours for $128,000. The catch is that the land is not included.

"It’s not a piece of junk," said Jim Connelly, who is responsible for local sales and estimates for house movers Nickel Bros.

Connelly says they’ll move the home anywhere within the capital region.

The house, built in the 1940s, has good bones, a new roof and plenty of upgrades.

The question is: During a housing crisis that is seeing the price of building materials consistently rise, is this a cheaper way to get yourself into homeownership?

"For sure we've saved hundreds of thousands of dollars," said Mandelena Lewis, a homeowner in Sooke.

Lewis and her partner lost their Sooke home to a fire back in 2021. Instead of rebuilding, they moved a house that they once rented, and was destined for demolition, to their existing property.

“First and foremost, this is not a one-shoe-fits-all situation,” said Lewis.

She cautions it may be a cheaper option than building new but it is not for the faint of heart.

"It depends on the land too. Does it have septic? Is it already hooked up or do you have to do this from scratch?"

She says navigating permitting processes can also be overwhelming and often frustrating.

“So there’s a few things to keep in mind,” said Lewis.

The couple has now launched a consulting business to help others navigate the twists and turns of moving a home, called Renegade Builders.

“These buildings are being relocated to more affordable areas or more rural properties,” said Connelly.

According to BC Assessment, the land the Oak Bay home sits on is valued at more than $1 million.

A Sooke realtor tells CTV News a piece of property in Sooke that would allow for an older home to be relocated to would cost in the neighbourhood of $400,00.

“Not only do we have an affordable-housing crisis, we have a materials crisis,” said Connelly.

Nickel Bros. says it is seeing an increase in demand for this type of housing option throughout the Pacific Northwest.

It's an option that is not only more affordable in the long run, but also better for the environment.

“Anything that keeps these buildings out of the landfill is an appropriate way to go. It’s the way we should be going,” said Connelly.